Made a little fact book about Makkah with the children. Insya Allah, this is to recap what we have talked about all these while.

Here are some scanned pictures of their work. Each of them have their own fact book. Well except Z who is running around all the time with the exception of when we were looking at the maps to identify saudi arabia and Makkah.

But he made a fabulous cover page of his fact book on Makkah. In my opinion that is. It looks a bit strange and confusing. But I love his idea. He wrote Makkah in arabic font with the background of mountains (he said it’s mountain. They are mountain of Makkah). I love his observation of Makkah.

Surprisingly none of them drew Kaabah per se.

I am putting S’s cover page and Z’s.

Anyway, here are the points in the fact book.

1. Which country is Makkah in?

– get a world map – and mark Makkah

– get a Saudi map and mark Makkah

2. Why is Makkah so important to the Muslims?

– holy land

– the most beloved land to Allah and His Messenger s.a.w.

– the Qiblah for the Muslims

– place for the pilgrimage

– Allah made it sacred when heaven and earth were created

3. Names of Makkah

Makkah has many names. In the Quran, Allah mentioned a few different names of Makkah

And Allâh puts forward the example of a township (Makkah), that dwelt secure and well content; its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it (its people) denied the Favours of Allâh (with ungratefulness). So Allâh made it taste the extreme of hunger (famine) and fear, because of that (evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad SAW) which they (its people) used to do

And this (the Qur’ân) is a blessed Book which We have sent down, confirming (the revelations) which came before it, so that you may warn the Mother of Towns (i.e. Makkah) and all those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it (the Qur’ân), and they are constant in guarding their Salât (prayers).

Allah’s Apostle said, “One prayer in my Mosque is better than one thousand prayers in any other mosque excepting Al-Masjid-AI-Haram.”

– deeds in Makkah have greater rewards than anywhere else

– prayer in Haram is multiplied many more times than in anywhere else.

– the reward in praying in Masjidin Nabawi is 1000 prayers.

Muslim :: Book 41 : Hadith 7032Anas b. Malik reported that

Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: There will be no land which would not be covered by the Dajjal but Mecca and Medina, and there would no passage out of the passages leading to them which would not be guarded by angels arranged in rows. Then he (the Dajjal) would appear in a barren place adjacent to Medina and it would rock three times that every unbeliever and hypocrite would get out of it towards him.

– The dajjal cannot enter Makkah and Madinah

– The angels will guard all passageways into Makkah and madinah

– However the kafiruns and munafiquns will not be save in Makkah and Madinah as dajjal will shake the earth three times, and the kafirun and munafiqun will go towards Dajjal. They will also be enticed with Dajjal’s temptation.

The spot of Kaabah has been made sacred by Allah ever since earth and heaven are created.

Allah made the Ka’bah the Sacred House, an asylum of security for men, as also the Sacred Months, the animals for offerings, and the garlands that mark them: that ye may know that Allah hath knowledge of what is in the heavens and on earth and that Allah is well acquainted with all things. (Al Maidah 5:97)

Then let them complete the rites prescribed for them, perform their vows, and (again) circumambulate the Ancient House

It is important to note that even though Kaabah is called Baytullah, it does not mean that Allah lives in there. Allah lives above His throne above the seven heaven. *Point to the sky

Kaabah is a symbol of worship. A place made holy by Allah. So we pray towards it, not to it.

– Maqam Ibrahim

The stone on which Prophet Ibrahim a.s. stood when he built the kaabah. Allah made the stone on which he stood soft and his feet impression were left. Allah then made the Maqam Ibrahim as a place of prayer

وَٱتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ مُصَلًّ۬ى‌ۖ

And take you people the Maqam of Ibrahim as a place of prayer. Al Baqarah 2:125

When we went for the umrah, the kids saw some people kissing the Maqam Ibrahim. I took the opportunity that this is not the right thing to do. Unlike the black stone, Rasullullah s.a.w. never kiss the Maqam Ibrahim. And even the stone has no power to help us, which is kissed by the Prophet s.a.ww, what more Maqam Ibrahim which is not kissed by the Prophet s.a.w..

May Allah guide all of us on the straight path.

– Black stone

To know the virtue of the stone, it is sufficient to know that it was touched by the hand of the Prophet s.a.w and also kissed by him. Prophet Ibrahim a.s. built the Kaabah with this stone. The stone signifies the start of tawaf around kaabah. It does not have any power whatsoever.

‘Umar came near the Black Stone and kissed it and said “No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah’s Apostle kissing you I would not have kissed you.”

– zamzam

I told the story of Siti Hajar and Prophet Ismael a.s. being left in the desert of Makkah. And how Prophet Ismael a.s. cried. And Siti Hajar ran from Safa to Marwah for seven times and she saw an angel scraping the ground and water came out. This is zamzam.